That breaks my heart. Do they make carts for cats? I just don't see them adapting very well to them. I honestly don't know if could watch my cat drag itself around like that every day. Obviously a sweet cat and loving owner.JK

Based on the profiling of how seriel killers usually start off with killing small animals, maybe some day we'll have a national registry of neighborhood pet abusers the way there's a sex offenders database.

Based on the profiling of how seriel killers usually start off with killing small animals, maybe some day we'll have a national registry of neighborhood pet abusers the way there's a sex offenders database.

It is a great idea. My memory fails me, but I think there is/was at least one state that was considering starting a state-wide database of those convicted of abusing or neglecting animals. Once there are enough state databases, maybe we can get something going on a federal level. Or make abuse and neglect against animal federal. I believe the idea behind this was roughly based on having a similar like this for domestic violence (or maybe I have this backwards).

Quite honestly, there aren't enough effective laws being followed to convict or prosecute when there have been reported examples of abuse or neglect. Also I don't know how many of those are considered just misdemeanors versus felonies.

Sorry for going off topic. Abuse (against animals or people) is an issue that riles me up. I am not sharing the thoughts and feelings I have about that person who shot the cat in the initial thread, but I am glad the cat seems to be doing well and obviously loved.

(What you are referring to I think is referred to the MacDonald Triad, a.k.a. serial killer behavior triad, specifically bed-wetting, arson and cruelty to animals.

Years and years ago on this board we were discussing someone who was abusing animals, and two of us mentioned that triad. And very shortly thereafter a very excited poster was asking for details; where we had found this information, had it been verified by testing, and so on. So I told the guy where I had found it referred to, and so did a couple of others. It was enough to send the guy in the right direction when looking for verifiable references.

It turned out that the poster worked in a DA's office out in Montana or Wyoming or some place similar, working mostly with juveniles. For some reason he had never come across any reference to the triad, and he was excited about having an aid in determining whether a young offender might really be heading for trouble. I was a bit surprised that he didn't know about it, but a lot of people don't know about it yet.

I'd forgotten that episode until a few days ago.

I'd like to know why the neighbor shot the cat. Was it deliberate cruelty, or was it dark and he thought he was shooting a large rat or weasel?

I do a lot of reading around here and there online and could NOT find exactly where I got that from. My recollection from the discussion was that the poster, pushed by a discussion crowd MUCH angrier than this one, stated that it was his girlfriend's cat, that the shooting happened over two yearsago following many threats, but even with law enforcement involvement therewas no follow up for 'lack of hard evidence' that the woman who threatened repeatedly actually did it. Sorry, that's all I got. I DO recall being astonished at the degree of ingenuity exhibited in the 'retribution plans' that many of the posters had devised for the shooter(!!!)((E.g. "burn her house to the ground, when she bebuilds, burn down again")) Many other discussion board systems do not have the overriding "you're all being monitored" restrictions that this childish system maintains.

Years and years ago on this board we were discussing someone who was abusing animals, and two of us mentioned that triad. And very shortly thereafter a very excited poster was asking for details; where we had found this information, had it been verified by testing, and so on. So I told the guy where I had found it referred to, and so did a couple of others. It was enough to send the guy in the right direction when looking for verifiable references.

It turned out that the poster worked in a DA's office out in Montana or Wyoming or some place similar, working mostly with juveniles. For some reason he had never come across any reference to the triad, and he was excited about having an aid in determining whether a young offender might really be heading for trouble. I was a bit surprised that he didn't know about it, but a lot of people don't know about it yet.

I'd forgotten that episode until a few days ago.

Funny. Or at least sort of interesting. Several years ago, I attended a series of workshops to provide training for working with victims of violent crimes (mostly for professionals new to the field, whether criminal justice or other). In between, sometimes there were discussions about why perpetrators did what they did. A lot of often highly educated professionals have no clue at all. The nice thing a lot of people participating in that workshop demonstrated deep appreciation for what they were learning about. And I met quite a number of people that I respected.

The internet, but these TMF boards, can be an impressive place to learn a wide range of things from unexpected sources. E.g., a professional in a D.A.'s office learning about theories of predatory behavior from a discussion board for people to talk about their beloved pets.

Quite honestly, there aren't enough effective laws being followed to convict or prosecute when there have been reported examples of abuse or neglect.

IMO it's not just about punishment for abuse of an animal - if someone shoots a domestic housecat it shows a lack of rational thinking and a lack of responsible gun ownership. Even if you're in a rural area that's still not normal behavior when a water gun or hose can effectively scare a cat off one's property.